We wanted to get the fer-de-lance 47>> to strike right at the camera, but for whatever reason we could not get this one snake to strike.

...the fer-de-lance detects its prey through these heat-sensitive organs [pits] on the front of its face....The sound guy said, Ive got a lot of these nine-volt batteries....

Obviously the pits actually work, because that snake struck at the camera, grabbed the whole lens in its mouth, repeatedly strikingwe couldnt even get the camera away from the snake.

We got some incredible footage of this fer-de-lance coming straight at the camera. You can look right down its throat as it grabs the camera lens in its mouthand we all have a nine-volt battery to thank for that shot.